Science Stats

  1. Environment

    Grassland and shrubland fires destroy more U.S. homes than forest fires

    Grassland and shrubland fires destroyed nearly 11,000 homes in the contiguous United States from 1990 to 2020.

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  2. Ecosystems

    Planting trees could buy more time to fight climate change than thought

    Earth has nearly a billion hectares suitable for new forests to start trapping carbon, a study finds.

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  3. Life

    1 million species are under threat. Here are 5 ways we speed up extinctions

    One million of the world’s plant and animal species are now under threat of extinction, a new report finds.

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  4. Health & Medicine

    Pharmaceutical abuse sent more than 350,000 people to the ER in 2016

    The misuse of pharmaceuticals sent an estimated 350,000 people to U.S. emergency departments in 2016.

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  5. Oceans

    Oceans that are warming due to climate change yield fewer fish

    Warming water due to climate change is diminishing sustainable fishery yields in the world’s oceans.

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  6. Planetary Science

    Ring ripples reveal how long a day lasts on Saturn

    Clues in Saturn’s rings divulge the planet’s rotation rate: 10 hours, 33 minutes, 38 seconds.

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  7. Agriculture

    Prosecco production takes a toll on northeast Italy’s environment

    The soil in Northern Italy’s prosecco vineyards is washing away.

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  8. Health & Medicine

    Americans are sleeping less than they were 13 years ago

    A survey suggests that nearly one-third of American adults are sleeping fewer than 6 hours a night, and minority groups are most affected.

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  9. Climate

    Half the world’s annual rain falls in just 12 days

    Climate change could shorten the time it takes for the world to receive half its annual precipitation from 12 days to 11 by 2100.

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  10. Environment

    Car tires and brake pads produce harmful microplastics

    Scientists surveyed tiny airborne plastics near German highways and found that bits of tires, brake pads and asphalt make up most of the particles.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    Air pollution is triggering diabetes in 3.2 million people each year

    A new study quantifies the link between smoggy air and diabetes.

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  12. Earth

    Earth’s rivers cover 44 percent more land than we thought

    A global survey of rivers and streams based on satellite data suggests that these waterways traverse about 773,000 square kilometers.

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